New Survey! 66 % of Quebecers consider that it is difficult for homosexual seniors to be openly in a relationship in a seniors’ residence.

According to a survey conducted by Fondation Émergence for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

66% of Quebecers consider that it is difficult for homosexual seniors to be openly in a relationship in a seniors’ residence.

The realities of LGBT seniors, a key theme in the fight against prejudice

Montreal, May 30, 2016— As part of the activities surrounding the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, Fondation Émergence is releasing the results of a recent survey conducted by Léger Marketing about Canadians’ and Quebecers’ perceptions and opinions about homophobia and transphobia in connection with the theme of the 2016 campaign. This year’s campaign deals with the realities of elderly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, and has as its main theme Homophobia and Transphobia Affect All Ages.

All told, slightly more than half of the Canadians surveyed (52%) consider that it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT (rather difficult + very difficult) for elderly homosexuals to be openly in a relationship in everyday life. The percentage is significantly lower among the Quebecers who took part in the survey (44%).

The data is different when it comes to seniors’ residences (long-term care facilities/CHSLDs, private residences, etc.). In fact, 62% of the Canadians surveyed consider that it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT (rather difficult + very difficult) for elderly homosexuals to be openly in a relationship in a seniors’ residence. The percentage is higher among Quebecers (66%).

For Claude Leblond, the president of Fondation Émergence, this raises serious questions about the efforts being made by seniors’ residences to be inclusive towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals: “This perception of Quebecers and Canadians confirms the results of studies and our observations in the field. Fondation Émergence has been fighting since 2009 to gain recognition and respect for LGBT individuals living in seniors’ residences, notably through the Pour que vieillir soit gai program, but progress has been slow. As a result, many LGBT seniors feel uncomfortable revealing their sexual orientation, identity or gender expression. They become invisible in their living environments.”

This last point seems to be borne out by the results of the survey. While 66% of the Canadians surveyed state that they know at least one LGBT person aged 65 and under in their immediate circle, only 22% of the respondents indicated that they know at least one person aged 65 and over. The difference is appreciable. It is interesting to note that, among the Quebecers surveyed, a higher percentage (75%) stated that they know at least one LGBT person aged 65 and under, but the proportion was almost as low (25%) as the Canadian average for the question about those 65 and older.

The survey also measured respondents’ knowledge of the terms homophobia and transphobia. Compared to 2013, Canadians have a better knowledge of the meaning of the acronym LGBT (70%, higher than 2013’s 40%) and the word transphobia (65%, compared to 40% in 2013). It is interesting to note that, compared to residents in the rest of Canada, more Quebecers state that they know the word homophobia (88% for the Canadian respondents and 93% for the Quebec respondents), but Quebecers are substantially less aware of the meaning of the acronym LGBT (46%) and the word transphobia (53%).

Methodology: The survey was conducted from April 25-30, 2016 through an online questionnaire across a random sample of 1,513 Canadians from the LegerWeb panel. All respondents were 18 years of age or older and were able to communicate in French or English.

Fondation Émergence works to fight homophobia and transphobia and to defend the rights and support the inclusion of LGBT individuals in society through a range of programs, including the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17th.